Metal coil and fastener therefor



Oct. 10, 1939.

, A. B. WILSON METAL COIL AND FASTENER THEREFOR Filed March- 17, 1937 2 Sheets$heet l Oct. 10, 1939.

A. B. WILSON 2,175,623 METAL COIL AND FASTENER THEREFOR Filed Marbh 17, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,175,623 METAL COIL AND FASTENERA THEREFOR Allen B. Wilson,

Steel Company, Illinois Application March 17,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in metal coils and fasteners therefor and its purpose is to provide improved means by which a coil of metal strapping or the like may be formed and retained in the desired shape in a simple, convenient and economical manner. It has been the practice heretofore to form metal strapping into coils by winding the strapping spirally in superimposed layers which layers have been arranged side by side when the strapping has been comparatively narrow in width, and these windings of metal have been secured in assembled relationship during shipment by wrappings and binding wires extending transversely around them. Due to severe shocks and jolts received by such coils during shipment, it has often happened that all of the layers or convolutions of the metal at one side of the coil have been deflected or bowed inwardly in conjunction, usually, with the lateral spreading of the metal in this part of the coil. This bulging and spreading of the metal has interfered with the unwinding of the coil during the use of the strapping and it has usually been found impossible to restore the distorted part of the coil to its original shape after it has once been deflected therefrom, with the result that it has been necessary to scrap many coils or to return them to the factory for rewinding. These difficulties have been overcome by the inventions disclosed in the copending applications of Clarence S. Henderson, Serial No. 49,246, filed November 11, 1935, now issued as Patent No. 2,105,734, dated January 18, 1938, and Chester M. MacChesney, Serial No. 49,247, filed November 11, 1935, and the purpose of the present invention is to improve upon the metal coils of these prior applications by providing an arrangement in which the use of transversely extending wrappings and binding wires is eliminated while at the same time retaining means for preventing the inward collapse of the coil during shipment or the like.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved metal coil comprising a central flexible core upon which the metal strapping is wound in combination with an improved fastening device by which the accidental or undesired unwinding of the strapping from the coil is prevented. A further object of the invention is to provide an improved coil of strapping or the like in combination with a retaining clip which embraces the outer portion of the coil and prevents the unwinding of the strapping. A further object of the invention is to provide an improved fastening device for metal coils which may be Evanston, Ill., assignor to Acme Chicago, 111., a corporation of 1937, Serial No. 131,287

conveniently applied thereto or removed therefrom and which may be readily adjusted to secure the strapping in coils of various radial thicknesses. Still another object of the invention is to provide a U-shaped spring clip adapted to embrace a spiral winding of steel strapping or the like and having teeth adapted to engage the edges of convolutions of the strapping for the purpose of retaining the clip in place. Other objects relate to various features of construction and arrangement which will appear more fully hereinafter.

The nature of the invention will be understood from the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings in which one em-qlU bodiment is illustrated. In the drawings,

Figure 1 shOWS a top plan view of an upright coil of steel strapping or the like embodying the features of the present invention, including the improved fastener by which the convolutions of l the coil are retained in place;

Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the metal coil illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the fastener which is employed in the formation of the coil shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of fastener which is adapted to extend inwardly at the sides of the coil to engage the metal core or drum upon which the metal strapping is wound; and

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional View, similar to that of Fig. 3, showing the fastening device of Fig. 5 applied to a metal coil embodying the features of the present invention.

As illustrated in the drawings, the improved coil of the present invention comprises a circular core or drum 10 formed preferably of a strip of comparatively thin sheet steel or the like which is provided throughout its width with longitudinal corrugations H1 and which has its ends overlapping and secured together by spot welds or the like as shown at W. This core has wound thereon a single length of steel strapping H which is relatively narrow as compared with the width of the core I0 and which is wound on the core in a somewhat diagonal fashion so that a plurality of radially superimposed and laterally spaced convolutions are formed which give to the resulting body of metal a substantially rectangular cross section with the edges of the latwinding the metal strip upon the core 10 according to the usual method, the alternate radial layers at the edges of the coil project beyond the intermediate layers to form this tooth-like arrangement which, in less regular than in the ideal formation shown in Fig. 3. The inner end N of the metal strip may be inserted through an aperture 10 which is formed in the body of the core II] and the outer end ll of the strip may be reversely bent upon itself and held in place by one of the metallic fasteners l2 of the present invention which is constructed in the form of a U-shaped cliphaving a top or outer wall l2 and twoparallel side walls I? which terminate at their extremities in reversely bent hook portions I2 which are preferably inclined slightly upward toward the wall l2 and which are also preferably rounded and more or less sharpened. When a clip or fastener I2 is placed over the body of the coil, the arms (2 of the clip extend radially inward at the sides of the coil and the hooks 12 project inwardly and engage certain of the spaces or notches I I d which are formed between adjacent convolutions of the strapping at the sides of the coil, as shown in Fig. 3. Other fasteners l2 are applied in a similar mannerat other points around the periphery of the coil, as shown in Fig. 2, thus securing the strapping against unwinding during the shipment thereof and until the fasteners l2 are intentionally removed 'by the user. The fasteners l2 are preferably formed of resilient material so that the arms I 2 of each fastener tend to return to the parallel relationship shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The hooks H! of the fasteners thus automatically engage the tooth-like recesses at the edges of the coil and may be conveniently withdrawn therefrom when the user wishes to detach the fasteners. If it be desired to re-apply one or more of these fasteners, after the coil has been partially consumed, the fasteners may be replaced and the teeth l2 thereof will then engage the tooth-like recesses at the edges of the coil at points nearer to the central drum or core Ill. The fastener I2 is thus adjustable to use with coils of various radial depths and the body portion l2 of the fastener may, of course, be constructed of various lengths to suit coils of various widths.

In Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, there is illusmay be readily applied to and detached from the coil.

While two forms of the improved metal coil of thepresent invention have been shown and described in connection with the disclosure of two embodiments of the improved fastener, it will be understood that the invention may be constructthe scope of the I claim:

1. A cell comprising a core having a length or metal strapping wound thereon in radially superimposed layers with the edges of the strapping forming teeth at the lateral sides of the winding, and a fastener embracing said winding and having parts engaging said teeth.

2. A coil comprising a core having a length of metal strapping wound thereon in radially wardly extending hooks interlocking with said teeth.

3. A coil comprising a core having a length of metal strapping wound thereon in radially superimposed layers arranged to form teeth at the sides of the winding, and a metal fastener having radially extending resilient arms terminating in inwardly projecting parts adapted to interlock with said teeth.

ALLEN B. WILSON. 

